School Tours
Hands-On History at Kreische’s Bluff
Grades: K-12
Capacity: 5-80 students
Timing: 1-2 hours, Wednesday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Cost: $1 per student, one chaperone for every 10 students is free. Additional adults are $3 each.
During a visit to Kreische’s Bluff, students don’t have to imagine what life was like in Central Texas in the mid-1800s, they can experience it for themselves! Students will participate in a variety of interactive activities preselected by their teacher, learning about topics like archeology, nature, immigration, and 19th-century life. They’ll tour the historic structures, play period games, and use their historical thinking skills to consider primary sources.
Men of the Black Bean Episode
Grades: 7-12
Capacity: 5-20
Timing: 1 hour, Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Cost: $1 per student, one chaperone for every 10 students is free. Additional adults are $3 each.
Monument Hill marks the tomb of those killed in the Dawson and Mier conflicts. Students will learn about the events leading to the ill-fated 1843 Black Bean Episode from the words of the men who were there, considering those who lost their lives in the name of Texas sovereignty.
Public Tours and Adult Group Tours
Gather Up! A History of Meeting on the Bluff
Capacity: up to 35 people
Timing: 45 minutes, Saturdays and Sundays at 1 p.m. (subject to weather and staff availability) or Tuesday through Sunday by reservations for groups of 10 or more.
Cost: Adults $5, seniors $3, students $2, ages 5 and under free; Adult groups of 10+: $3 per person
Experience an introduction to the sites. See the memorial for the men of the Dawson and Mier conflicts, the Kreische House, and the overlook to the brewery ruins and hear the stories of how communities have gathered here for centuries.
Frisch Auf! A Toast to Kreische’s Brewery
Capacity: up to 30 people
Timing: 1 hour, Saturdays and Sundays at 3 pm (subject to weather and staff availability) or Tuesday through Sunday by reservations for groups of 10 or more.
Cost: Adults $5, seniors $3, students $2, ages 5 and under free
Kreische Brewery was one of the state’s first commercial beer producers, becoming the third largest in operation by 1878. Explore the ruins of this once-bustling brewery up close, envisioning how Fayette County citizens would come and enjoy a pint of Kreische’s Bluff Beer while looking out toward the beautiful Texas landscape. Note that this tour is 3/4 mile and requires walking down potentially difficult slopes and trailways, including historic stone stairs.
Roots in the Rocks: Building the Kreische House and Home
Capacity: up to 20 people
Timing: 45 minutes, Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. (subject to weather and staff availability) or Tuesday through Sunday by reservations for groups of 10 or more.
Cost: Adults $5, seniors $3, students $2, ages 5 and under free; Adult groups of 10+: $3 per person
Learn about Heinrich Kreische, a German immigrant and master stonemason, who left an indelible mark around La Grange through his building prowess, entrepreneurship, and ingenuity. See his three-story home and hear about how he, his wife Josepha, and their six children established themselves as a prominent German-Texan family during Fayette County’s early years.
Evolution of a Monument: Remembering the Men of the Dawson and Mier Expeditions
Capacity: up to 30 people
Timing: 30 minutes, Tuesday through Sunday by reservations for groups of 10 or more.
Cost: Adults $5, seniors $3, students $2, ages 5 and under free; Adult groups of 10+: $3 per person
Monument Hill marks the tomb of those killed in the Dawson and Mier conflicts. Learn about the events leading to the ill-fated 1843 Black Bean Episode and the story of the re-interment and memorialization of the men's remains on the bluff.
Tour Reservations
Tour reservations should be made at least one week in advance by calling 979-968-5658, emailing KBMH@thc.texas.gov, or completing this tour request form.
If your group is looking for a specialized tour experience, contact the site directly to inquire about customizing your tour.
Parking
A designated parking lot, including wheelchair-accessible parking, is located next to the sites’ visitor center. The parking lot gates are locked at 5 p.m.
Accessibility
The sites visitor center and primary interpretive trail, the “Historic and Scenic Bluff Trail,” are wheelchair accessible. Wheelchair-accessible restrooms are available in the visitor center.
Facilities
Visitors may bring their own food and drinks to enjoy in the site’s picnic area. Restrooms and water fountains are available at the visitor center and in the picnic area. A small interpretive shelter is attached to the restroom facilities in the picnic area. Smoking is permitted in designated areas only.
Museum Store
A museum store is in the visitor center and offers books, magnets, postcards, imported German woodcrafts, children’s toys, and unique gifts.
Special Events
For the latest program schedule, contact the visitor center, visit the sites’ social media, or review upcoming events on the events calendar.
Reminiscent of a once-popular social occasion on the bluff is the traditional Easter egg hunt and bonfire held on the Saturday before Easter Sunday.
Bluff SchuetzenFest in May features live German and Texas music, historical games, a shooting gallery with a modern twist, living history activities, community booths, special tours and programs, food and drink, and more. During the event, Texas History on Tap provides guests with samples of Texas craft beers and opportunities to meet the teams behind some of Texas' most celebrated breweries.
In September, Monument Hill Remembrance is a memorial ceremony for the men buried in the tomb on Monument Hill. Costumed interpreters lay wreaths and fire gun salutes.
The sites participate in the statewide Texas Archeology Month with Archeology Day usually held on the second Saturday of October. Activities include mock excavations, mapping exercises, hands-on artifacts, tours, and other activities.
At the end of October, guests can enjoy an evening of Spooky Stories next to a bonfire. Local legends, tall tales, and scary stories of Texas and Fayette County are featured on the last Saturday of the month.
Trail of Lights is held during December on selected evenings. Visitors can experience beautifully decorated trails, live music and refreshments, photos with Santa, and holiday crafts. The highlight along the trail is the historic Kreische House with 19th-century decorations, costumed interpreters sharing German Victorian traditions, and the smokehouse yard where guests can smell sausages smoking and sample German holiday treats.
Download an activities Guide to the Natural Experience of Kreische Brewery and Monument Hill State Historic Sites
Area Attractions
The town of La Grange has many fine old buildings (including some that Mr. Kreische built) to tour. The courthouse square, where the third county courthouse (built by Kreische in the 1850s) was located, now features an 1890s architecturally significant courthouse building. A large monument to the heroes of the Dawson and Mier expeditions is located on the courthouse lawn. In one corner of the square is the Muster Oak, where Captain Nicholas Dawson and the men of his expedition gathered to ride to their fates at the battle at Salado Creek in San Antonio in 1842. The old Fayette County Jail is a historic stone building at 171 South Main St., one block south of the square. It currently houses the Texas Heroes Museum. This museum displays artifacts of Texans who have served in the military from the time of the Texas Revolution to the present.
Casino Hall houses the Main Street’s Visitors Center, where you can obtain information on amenities, overnight lodging, shopping, and sightseeing. Ask about the old historic cemetery and downtown tours through the Visitor's Bureau office.
La Grange is centrally located between Houston and Austin, with both only an hour to an hour and a half drive away. The communities of Round Top, Winedale, Smithville, Bastrop, and Brenham are nearby as well. They feature many museums, shopping opportunities and local eateries.. Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site is within driving distance, with a common theme of Texas Independence.
A unique Painted Churches Tour is available to the south of the sites in the countryside toward Schulenberg and Flatonia, featuring authentic 19th-century European-style churches from German, Czech, and other similar cultures. Stop by the sites’ visitors center for brochures and printed information about nearby attractions.